Pollution, 4(4): 649-662, Autumn 2018

DOI: 10.22059/poll.2018.249931.377

Print ISSN :2383-451X Online ISSN: 2383-4501

Web Page: https://jpoll.ut.ac.ir, Email :jpoll@ut.ac.ir

649

Adsorption of Copper (II) Ions from Aqueous Solution onto

Activated Carbon Prepared from Cane Papyrus

Alatabe, M. J.*

Environmental Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, University of

Mustansiriyah, Baghdad, P.O. Box: 14022, Baghdad, Iraq.

Received: 09.01.2018 Accepted: 24.05.2018

ABSTRACT: The present study evaluates the suitability of activated carbon, prepared from Cane Papyrus, a plant that grows naturally and can be found quite easily, which serves as a biological sorbent for removal of Cu

2+ ions from aqueous solutions. Fourier

transform infra-red analysis for the activated carbon, prepared from Cane Papyrus confirms the presence of amino (–NH), carbonyl (–C=O), and hydroxyl (–OH) functional groups with Bath mode getting used to investigate the effects of the following parameters: adsorbent dosage (among the rates of 10, 20, and 30 g/L), pH values, Cu

2+

initial concentration, and contact time. Results reveal higher efficiency (98%) of powdered adsorbent for removal of Cu

2+ ions, which is found at pH=6 with 30 g/L

activated carbon, prepared from Cane Papyrus, for a duration of 2 hours. The Freundlich isotherm model with linearized coefficient of 0.982 describes the adsorption process more suitably than the langmuir model, in which this rate equals to 0.899. Pseudo-second order kinetic equation best describes the kinetics of the reaction. Furthermore, it has been found that 0.5M HCl is a better desorbing agent than either 0.5 M NaOH or de-ionized water. The experimental data, obtained, demonstrate that the activated carbon prepared from Cane Papyrus can be used as a suitable adsorbent for Copper(II) ion removal from aqueous solutions.

Keywords: Natural Plants, Biosorbent, Activation, Removal Efficiency, Kinetics.

INTRODUCTION

Heavy metal pollution has been one of the

most challenging environmental problems

due to its toxicity, persistence, and

bioaccumulation tendencies (Delaila et al.,

2008). Most industries produce and

discharge metal-containing wastes mostly

into water bodies, which affect the aesthetic

quality of the water, while increasing the

concentration of present metals (Donohue,

2004). Activities such as mining and

smelting operations, wastewater treatment

facilities, various agricultural works, and

metal casting contribute significantly to the

Email: mohammedjjafer@uomustansiriyah.edu.iq

concentration of heavy metals in the

environment (Delaila et al., 2008; Patil et al.,

2012) ). Heavy metal contamination is not a

recent problem, though its management and

prevention is still a global concern. Examples

of involved heavy metal ions include Cd2+

,

Cr6+

, Cu2+

, Hg2+

, Ni2+

, and Pb2+

. Elevated

concentrations of heavy metals are toxic for

living organisms. For instance, high

concentrations of Cu2+

can cause diseases

like bone deformation, extra cholesterol

intake, and anemia (Mukesh & Thakur,

2013). The allowable amount of copper is 2

mg/L, according to the European Union

standards (Dorris et al., 2000).

Alatabe, M. J.

650

Several techniques have been designed

for removal of heavy metals from aqueous

solutions, including ion exchange,

chemical precipitation/co-precipitation,

filtration, coagulation, membrane

technologies, and commercial activated

carbon (Inglezakis et al., 2004; Baccar et

al., 2009). The major disadvantages of

these methods lie in the cost involved, the

efficiency of the processes, and disposal of

wastes generated (Alatabe, 2012; Cheung

et al., 2001). Technologies that treat Cu2+

contaminated waters include (i) adsorption

both in batch and column operations

(Moselhy et al., 2017; Hameed et al.,

2007), (ii) coagulation, electro coagulation,

and flocculation, (iii) ion exchange (Veli &

Pekey, 2004), and (iv) membrane filtration

(Bouhamed et al., 2016). Convenient

design and operation has rendered

adsorption in packed beds the most

applicable practice among all these

technologies, particularly within a frugal

approach (Zhu et al., 2012). Adsorption

processes are able to eliminate many

contaminants in a multi-barrier approach.

There is a growing interest in the

application of plant biomass for water

treatment in general and aqueous Cu2+

removal in particular (Futalan et al., 2011;

Vernersson et al., 2002). The main

advantage of plant biomass is that it is

readily available and can work under

almost-neutral pH (Lin & Wang, 2002).

The contaminant removal mechanism by

this class of material is not established. It is

currently understood that the driving force

for decontamination relies in its affinity

with several species, present in the biomass

structure (e.g. cellulosic groups of Ca2+

,

Mg2+

, OH-, and –NH2,) (Prasad et al.,

2008). Relevant removal mechanisms

include bio sorption, ion-exchange, and

physical adsorption (Qin et al., 2006;

Hanzlik et al., 2004). In recent years,

several plant materials have been positively

tested for Cu2+

removal such as (i)

cinnamomum camphora (Chen et al., 2010)

and (ii ) modified barley straw (Pehlivan et

al., 2012). The literature review indicates

that Cane Papyrus is yet to be used for

Cu+2

removal from industrial waste water.

Therefore, this study presents the use of

Cane Papyrus as a potential, novel,

environmentally-friendly, and cheap

adsorbent for elimination of Cu+2

ions from

aqueous solution and wastewater samples.

Usually industries seek out low cost

methods for waste water treatment, hence

they may option for low cost adsorbents.

Although research reports show varieties of

low cost adsorbents, all adsorbents are not

available easily throughout the world

(Alatabe, 2018).

The objective of the present study is to

prepare activated carbon from can papyrus

in order to increase the removal efficiency

of the metals via adsorption, then to

investigate the adsorption potential of

activated carbon, prepared from Cane

Papyrus in the removal of Cu+2

ions from

aqueous solution, while investigating the

effects of pH, adsorbent amount, contact

time, and concentration of metal ions in the

solution. The langmuir and Freundlich

isotherms models are used to investigate

equilibrium data. The adsorption

mechanisms of Cu+2

ions onto activated

carbon, prepared from Cane Papyrus, are

also evaluated in terms of kinetics and

thermodynamics.

MATERIALS AND METHODS Adsorbent Cane Papyrus was collected

from farmlands in Al-Amarah Marshes (Al

Hawiseh Marshes) south of Iraq, as shown

in the maps below Figure 1 (Geographic

Location, 2013). Collecting process started

in March 2017, in this time the leaves of

Cane Papyrus had already been grown and

seemed very fresh. The leaves were

carefully detached from the plant stems

and washed thoroughly with tap water to

remove dirt, soil particles, and debris, then

to get sun-dried for l0 days.

Pollution, 4(4) :649-662, Autumn 2018

651

Fig. 1. Map of the marshes, south of Iraq

The dry biomass was ground to fine

powder, using a hammer mill, and then

weighed. After milling, the materials got

dried in an oven at 105 °C for 24 h. To

avoid further moisture absorption, samples

were preserved in desiccators. Dried

samples were then taken in a porcelain

crucible and covered with lid to be placed

in control muffle furnace at 750 °C for an

hour. Afterwards, the carbonized cane

papyrus samples got cooled and treated

with alkali solution (sodium hydroxide) for

its resultant leaching ash. After removal of

ash from cane papyrus char, the char was

washed and dried in oven. Two grams (2 g)

of treated cane papyrus char was soaked in

zinc chloride solution for 24 h (Cheung et

al., 2001). Then the crucible was placed

inside a muffled furnace so that it would

receive the required heat treatment. After

activation with zinc chloride, the samples

were washed with 1M hydrochloric acid

solutions firstly and then with distilled

water, until the pH value reached 7.0. After

washing, the samples were dried in an oven

at 105 °C for 24 h. Then the dried samples

were preserved in desiccators to avoid

further moisture absorption. The adsorbent

showed a fluffy, highly porous, and rough

microstructure, containing some voids and

cracks which was suitable for the

adsorption of Cu+2

ions. The concentration

of Cu+2

ions in aqueous solution was

analyzed, using Atomic Absorption

Spectrometer (AAS). Mechanical shaker

with adjustable speed time was used for

agitation, while all pH rates were measured

via a pH-meter.

Al Hawiseh Marshes

Alatabe, M. J.

652

One gram of activated carbon powder,

prepared from can papyrus, was used for the

adsorption of Cu+2

ions onto the surface of

activated carbon, again prepared from Cane

Papyrus via a mechanical shaker with the

speed of 200 rpm at 25Co. The effect of

adsorbent dosage was investigated by

altering the initial mass of the adsorbent

between 5 and 100 gm, with the optimum

dosage used for subsequent processes.

Similarly, depending on the pH, initial Cu2+

removal was initiated by contacting 0.0 to

5.0 g of the adsorbent with 100 ml Cu2+

solution for 5–l20 min in a closed

cylindrical plastic vessel, 250 ml in volume.

Copper(II) Sulfate Pentahydrate

(CuSO4.5H2O) was used as the source

of Cu2+

ion in a simulated effluent

solution, made from water with a TDS

(total dissolved solid) of 200 mg/L and a

pH value of 7. Hydrochloric acid and

sodium hydroxide solutions, both with a

concentration of 1M, were used to adjust

the pH value. In the prepared solution

samples, the contaminant concentrations

were 2.0, 3.0, and 4.5 mg/L. After

equilibration for 60 min, the adsorbent was

recovered. Residual Cu+2

ions on the

surface of the used adsorbent was removed

by getting washed three times with ultra-

pure water. De-ionized water, 1M NaOH,

and 1M HCl were tested as potential

desorbing agents, wherein 40 ml of the

agents was introduced into a l00 ml Teflon

container, containing the recovered

adsorbent, then to get equilibrated for 60

min at a speed of 200 rpm and T = 25Co.

Following the equilibration, the aqueous

solutions were centrifuged and the

supernatant analyzed to determine the

concentration of Cu+2

ions after desorption.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Results from the Fourier transform infra-red

showed a broad peak at 3000 1/cm with a

high transmittance frequency, which can be

attributed to either –OH or –NH groups. As

shown in Figure 2.B, the band observed at

2550 1/cm is possibly due to C–H stretching

vibrations of saturated aliphatic compounds,

as reported by Smith, whereas the one at

l750 1/cm can be attributed to –NH bending

vibration of primary amines. A small peak

was observed at l350 1/cm, corresponding to

v(C–C) stretching vibrations of aromatic

rings. The peaks, observed at l200 1/cm and

l150 1/cm, corresponded to the C–O stretch

of alcohols, carboxylic acids, esters, or

ethers. The absorption band at 500 1/cm can

be due to the presence of an alkyl halide.

Also it was confirmed that mucilage

extracted from Diceriocaryum species

contained carboxyl functional group. The

presence of acidic functional groups was

responsible for its adsorptive trait.

Furthermore, it was clearly stated from

previous studies of natural plant materials

that the biochemical characteristics of acidic

functional groups were responsible for their

metal ion uptake (Smith, 2011).

The present study used SEM images of

cane papyrus char, treated with sodium

hydroxide and activated with zinc chloride.

SEM image of activated carbon prepared

from Cane Papyrus was taken from

International Centre for Diffraction Data

equipment at Ibn-Alhathaim Lab, Baghdad

University. SEM images of cane papyrus

ash indicated a porous structure, which

means that following combustion, organic

compounds like carbon were driven off and

silica remained as its structure in the cane

papyrus. In reverse, if the silica was driven

off from the cane papyrus char through the

treatment of sodium hydroxide, then a

porous carbon structure was obtained. For

further development of porous structure, the

sodium-hydroxide-treated cane papyrus got

activated with zinc. The SEM image of

activated carbon, treated with zinc chloride,

shows the well-developed micro pore

structure (Figure 2.C). The chemical

composition of the adsorbent was analyzed

via X-ray Fluorescence spectrometer. Table l

gives the chemical composition of the

adsorbent.

Pollution, 4(4) :649-662, Autumn 2018

653

( A )

(B )

( C )

Fig. 2. SEM images of activated carbon, prepared from Cane Papyrus

Alatabe, M. J.

654

Table l. Chemical Composition of activated carbon, prepared from Cane Papyrus.

Compound Wt % Compound Wt %

Na2O

MgO

Al2O3

TiO2

MnO

SO3

V2 O4

l.l7

1.2 25.9

l.33

0.778

1.2

2.3

V2O5

CaO

SiO2

P2O5

Fe2O3

SrO

BaO

ll.7

2.7

1.1

17.6

2.0

l.24

1.5

Table 2. Characteristics of activated carbon, prepared from Cane Papyrus.

Physical Parameters Result

BET surface area (m2 /g)

Micropore surface area (m2 /g)

Total pore volume (cm³/g)

Micropore volume (cm³/g)

Average pore diameter(Ao or l0−8

cm)

3.5

l.75

1.5

1.02

191

Surface area of the adsorbent was 3.5

m2 /g (Table 2). The average pore

diameter of activated carbon, prepared

from Cane Papyrus, ranged between l0 and

1000 × l0−8

cm, with the adsorbent

classified as a meso-porous material.

Similarly, reported BET surface areas of

l.02 cm2/g and 3.75 m

2/g for activated

carbon from macadamia nuts were used for

phenol removal and maize tassels for

heavy metal removal from polluted waters,

respectively, although adsorbents with

higher surface areas have been widely

reported in literature (Alatabe & Alaa,

2017).

The percentage of removing Cu+2

ions

from aqueous solution was estimated by

means of Equation (l):

100Ci Cf

Adsorption %  Ci

(1)

where Ci and Cf are the initial and final

metal ion concentrations, respectively.

Co Ce Vqe

w

 

(2)

where qe is the amount of metal adsorbed

in mg/g, with Ci and Ce representing initial

and equilibrium concentrations of metal

ions in aqueous phase. V is the volume of

the solution in liters (L) and W, the weight

of the adsorbent used in grams.

Figure 3 demonstrates the effect of pH

on the variation of adsorption on the time

of contact at the experimental work

conditions: 30g adsorbent dosage, volume

=1L, and Cu2+

concentration= 5 mg/L. The

initial pH of the solution was 8. Two other

pH values of 6 and 2 were also

investigated, with the best result achieved

for the solution with pH value of 6. More

alkaline solutions with pH values higher

than 8 were not investigated, because

metallic hydroxide (e.g. Cu(OH)2) could be

formed at high pH values in the alkaline

range. Cu2+

ions was precipitated as

Cu(OH)2, quite difficult to be segregated

from adsorbed and bio-adsorbed Cu2+

. In

essence, Cu2+

ions can be present as Cu+ as

well, but Cu+ is not stable under

atmospheric conditions. Since the aim of

the present work was to investigate

removal of Cu2+

ions from the effluent

solutions, by means of activated carbon,

prepared from Cane Papyrus, pH values

were kept beneath 8.

Pollution, 4(4) :649-662, Autumn 2018

655

Fig. 3. Impact of pH values on Cu2+

ions adsorption (%), using activated carbon, prepared from Cane

Papyrus

All the curves correspond to 120 minutes,

with Curve No.1, Curve No.2, and Curve

No.3, representing 98%, 80%, and 60% of

Cu2+

ion removal, respectively. The lines are

not fitting functions; they simply connect

points to facilitate visualization. Increase in

Cu2+

ions removal along with the increase in

pH values can be explained on the basis of a

decrease in competition between proton and

metal cat-ions for reactions with the same

functional groups. Another parameter is the

decrease in positive charge of the adsorbent,

which results in a lower electrostatic

repulsion between the metal cat-ions and the

surface. Carboxyl and sulfate groups have

been identified as the main sites for

attachment of metal ions with the main

chemicals in seaweed and, as these groups

can have acidic property, their presence is

pH-dependent. These groups generate a

negatively-charged surface within pH range

of 3.5-5.0. Moreover, electrostatic

interactions among cationic species and this

surface were responsible for metal uptake. As

the pH rose, the ligands such as carboxylate

groups in Sargassum sp. would be exposed,

increasing the negative charge density on

biomass surface, enhancing the attraction of

metallic ions with positive charge and

allowing the bio sorption onto the cell

surface. By increasing pH, the rate of

adsorption also rose, with the optimum pH of

6 for copper bio sorption. Copper ion forms

an insoluble hydroxide, precipitated at pH

values above 8, consequently leading to no

adsorption. Obviously metal adsorption

depends on the nature of the adsorbent

surface. At low pH, the H+ ions compete with

metal ions for the exchange sites in the

system, thereby partially releasing metal ions.

Figure 4 shows, the increase of

adsorption rate through raising the

concentration of Cu2+

ions. A higher

aqueous concentration of Cu2+

ions means

more opportunities contact with a constant

amount of the adsorbent.

The detention time for all curves is 120

minutes, while Curve No.1 represents 3

mg/L of initial concentration and 98% Cu2+

ion removal; Curve No.2, 2 mg/L of initial

concentration and 80% Cu2+

ion removal;

and Curve No.3, 1 mg/L of initial

concentration and 60% Cu2+

ions removal.

The lines are not fitting functions; they

simply connect points to facilitate

visualization. It is expected that when the

initial ion concentration is increased, the rate

of adsorption would increase, too. Referring

to the limitation of the adsorption sites,

increasing the initial Cu2+

concentration

would reduce the ratio of Cu+2

which might

be absorbed relative to the total amount of

copper ions in the solution.

Alatabe, M. J.

656

Fig. 4. Effect of initial concentration of Cu+2

ions on the efficiency adsorption onto activated carbon,

prepared from Cane Papyrus

Figure 5 demonstrates changes of

aqueous Cu2+

ion concentrations as a

function of time for an adsorbent mass

loading of 30 g/L. It can be seen that Cu2+

ion removal increased very sharply at the

beginning, reaching 60% after some 30

minutes. After 80 minutes, a plateau was

reached at about 60% Cu2+

ion removal and

maintained until the end of the experiment

(120 minutes) at about 98%. Data from

Figure 6 suggest that 2 hours (120 minutes)

are a suitable duration to achieve a pseudo-

equilibrium under the experimental

conditions of this work. Figure 5

summarizes the effect of adsorbent mass

loading, varying from 10 g/L to 30 gm/L for

Cu2+

ion removal within 2 hours. The

efficiency of Cu2+

ion removal was 20%,

60%, and 98% for 10, 20, and 30 gm/L of

activated carbon prepared from Cane

Papyrus, with a volume of 1L and Cu+2

concentration of 5mg/L. This plateau at the

end of curves was probably from saturation

of the surface of adsorbent with metal ions,

followed by adsorption and desorption

processes that occur afterwards.

Fig. 5. Effect of activated carbon prepared from Cane Papyrus Dosage on the adsorption efficiency of

Cu+2

ions

Pollution, 4(4) :649-662, Autumn 2018

Fig. 6. Influence of various dosage of activated carbon, prepared from Cane Papyrus, on Cu+2

ion

adsorption efficiency

Experimental data for the adsorbed

metal against initial concentration were

fitted into the langmuir and Freundlich

adsorption isotherms. The langmuir model

(Langmuir, 1916) assumes that the

adsorption of an ideal gas on an ideal

surface occurs only at fixed number of

sites, with each site capable of only

holding one adsorbent molecule

(monolayer). It also assumes that all

available sites are equivalent and there is

no interaction between adsorbed molecules

on adjacent sites. The linearized equation

for langmiur model (Langmuir, 1918; Xiao

& Thomas, 2004) is represented by

Equation (3).

qe qmax    bqmax  Ce

l l l l 

(3)

where Ce is the equilibrium concentration

of the metal ion (mg/L); qe, the quantity of

Cu+2

ion adsorbed at equilibrium (mg/g);

qmax, the maximum amount adsorbed

(mg/g); and b, the adsorption constant

(L/mg). The plot of l/qe against l/Ce gave a

straight line with a regression coefficient of

0.8999 (Figure 7), indicating that the

adsorption conformed to langmuir model.

The maximum concentration of adsorbed

Cu+2

ions as well as the adsorption capacity

was calculated from the slope and intercept

of the plot, which can be seen in Table 3.

The conformity of the adsorption process

to langmuir model was determined, using

Equation (4):

Rl 

 l bCo

l 

(4)

where Rl is the separation factor; Co, the

initial metal concentration (mg/L); and b,

the langmuir constant (l/mg). Rl > l, Rl = l,

0 < Rl < l, and Rl = 0 indicate unfavorable,

linear, favorable, and irreversible

monolayer adsorption process,

respectively. Results from this study had an

Rl value between zero and one, indicating a

favorable adsorption process. This implies

that chemisorptions process duly explain

the adsorption of Cu+2

ions onto activated

carbon, prepared from Cane Papyrus.

Table 3. Freundlich and Langmuir constants for Cu+2

ion adsorption onto activated carbon, prepared

from Cane Papyrus

langmuir model Freundlich model

qmax(mg/g) b Rl(L/mg) R2 KF n R

2

39.5 0.0315 0.0-1.0

(0.5) 0.8999 0.09 0.0927 0.9823

Alatabe, M. J.

658

Fig. 7. Langmuir plot for Cu+2

ion adsorption onto activated carbon, prepared from Cane Papyrus

The Freundlich isotherm mode

(Freundlich, 1906) describes a multi-site

adsorption for heterogeneous surfaces and

can be represented by Equation (5);

l/n

e fq K Ce (5)

where Kf is the adsorption capacity (L/mg)

and l/n, the intensity of the adsorption,

showing the heterogeneity of the adsorbent

site as well as the distribution energy.

Equation (6) was obtained by taking the

logarithm of Equation (5):

e l elogq log K  logC (6)

A plot of logqe against logCe gave a

linear graph with a regression coefficient

of 0.9823 (Figure 8), indicating that the

adsorption also fits into Freundlich model.

From the linearized coefficients, obtained

from both models, the langmuir model

described the adsorption process better

than the Freundlich one. This suggests a

chemisorptions rather than a physisorption

process. Table 3 shows the constants,

obtained for Freundlich and langmuir plot.

A maximum adsorption capacity of 39.5

mg/g was obtained in this study for the

adsorption of Cu+2

ions. The use of

activated carbon, prepared from Cane

Papyrus, is therefore a potential candidate

for the removal of Cu+2

ions in water and

wastewater.

Fig. 8. Freundlich plot for Cu+2

ions adsorption onto activated carbon, prepared from Cane Papyrus

Pollution, 4(4) :649-662, Autumn 2018

659

The mechanism adsorption reactions are

usually carried out, using adsorption

reaction and adsorption diffusion models.

Both models are used to understand the

kinetics of the reaction. The linearized

equations for pseudo first- and pseudo

second-order kinetics are presented in

Equations (7) and (8), respectively.

log2.303

Ktqe qt logqe

(7)

1 1

2 2

t

qt K qe qe

(8)

where qe and qt stand for the amounts of

Cu+2

ions adsorbed at equilibrium and at

the given time t, respectively, while kl and

k2 are the rate constants of pseudo first- and

pseudo second-order models. The pseudo

first-order kinetic model (Ho & Mckay,

1999) was used to treat the experimental

data, obtained by plotting log(qe–qt) against

equilibration time (Figure 10). A linearity

coefficient of 0.8933 was obtained.

Similarly, a linear graph (R2 = 0.983) was

obtained by plotting t/qt values against time

t (Figure 9). The pseudo second-order best

described the kinetics of the adsorption

process, which agreed with other results,

reported in the literature. Results, obtained

from the kinetic plot, favors

chemisorptions mechanistic pathway rather

than physisorption.

Fig. 9. Pseudo second-order kinetics for Cu+2

ion adsorption onto activated carbon, prepared from Cane

Papyrus

Fig. 10. Pseudo first-order kinetics for Cu+2

ion adsorption onto activated carbon, prepared from Cane

Papyrus

Alatabe, M. J.

660

Mechanism-Based Model Weber-Morris

in Equation 9 was used to ascertain

whether intra-particle diffusion or film

diffusion (external diffusion) is the rate-

controlling step.

1/2

qt Kd t I

(9)

where kd is the intra-particle diffusion rate

constant (mg/g min−0.5

) and I (mg/g), a

constant describing the thickness of the

boundary layer. A linear plot of qt versus

t1/2

passing through the origin suggests

intra-particle diffusion as the sole rate-

determining step; however, if a linear plot

was obtained, which did not pass through

the origin, it meant the adsorption process

was controlled by more than one

mechanism. In this study, a linear plot was

obtained that did not pass through the

origin (Figure 11), suggesting that the

mechanism of the reaction is multi-linear

and the rate-limiting reaction was

controlled both through film diffusion and

intra-particle diffusion.

Fig. 11. Intra-particle diffusion model plot for Cu+2

ion adsorption onto activated carbon, prepared from

Cane Papyrus

This study was carried out to assess the

most suitable desorbing agent for eluting

adsorbed Cu+2

ions from the surface of

activated carbon, prepared from Cane

Papyrus. The effects of de-ionized water,

0.5M NaOH, and 0.5M HCl solutions were

tested for their ability to remove the adsorbed

Cu+2

ions from the surface of the adsorbent.

HCl was a better desorbing agent, capable of

recovering 60% of Cu+2

ions, adsorbed to the

surface of the adsorbent. NaOH and de-

ionized water showed desorption efficiencies

of 30% and 2%, respectively. Desorption is

beneficial for the separation and enrichment

of Cu+2

ions as well as the regeneration of

the adsorbent.

CONCLUSION The adsorption ability of powdered

activated carbon, prepared from Cane

Papyrus, was investigated and found

effective for the removal of Cu+2

ions from

wastewater. Acidic functional groups,

present on the surface, and sustainability of

the adsorbent are believed to be

responsible for the removal of Cu+2

ions

from aqueous media. The Freundlich

isotherm model gave a better description of

the adsorption process than the langmuir

isotherm model. Pseudo-second order

kinetics best described the kinetics of the

reaction, while 0.5 M HCl was a better

desorbing agent than 0.5 M NaOH as well

as de-ionized water.

Acknowledgement The author is grateful to the technical

support of Environmental Engineering

Department, University of Mustansiriyah

(www.uomustansiriyah.edu.iq), Baghdad,

Iraq, for providing investigation services.

Pollution, 4(4) :649-662, Autumn 2018

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